A film recorded 18 years ago entitled ‘Berek’.
The movie ‘Berek’ (Game of Tag) directed by Artur Żmijewski was recorder in 1999 in the gas chamber based at the territory of former German, Nazis concentration camp Stutthof. The permission for the production was given by the former director of Museum Stutthof - Janina Grabowska Chałka, who passed away in 2004.
The present Director of Museum Stutthof is unable to explain deeply the circumstances of the creation of the movie and the reasons of letting to record it. The current Director has been employed in the museum since 2007.
As far as we concerned Artur Zmijewski was obliged to present the script of the film to be accepted, however he did not fulfill this request. Even though Żmijewski managed to record ‘Berek’. When the former director of Museum Mrs. Grabowska realised what the film was about, she demanded to destroy the whole copies. She realised that this was a profanation of the Memorial Place. Artur Żmijewski promised to destroy the movie.
Unfortunately, the artist also did not fulfill his second request. The contemporary director decided not to carry out the investigation in order not to make an undeserving advertisement for the movie.
Nowadays, such disgraceful video could not be made in Museum Stutthof. Museum provides precise guidelines about obtaining permission for filming. They have been launched by the present director. You can find them on www.stutthof.org -> media: (http://www.stutthof.org/node/966), where you find the forms for obtaining the permission.
A movie crew who has received the permission is obligated to record the film only with a company of a Museum employee, who coordinates the recording and compering the compatibility with the received script. What is more, a movie crew is obligated to sign a statement, that the recorded material is consistent with the historical truth, does not violate the good name of the victims of KL Stutthof and does not harm the good name of the Memorial Place.
The present director of Museum Stutthof strongly condemns the record of Artur Zmijewski and in his opinion it is a profanation of the Memorial Place. This kind of so-called artwork should have never been created in any former concentration camp.
We would like to inform that the relevant answer has been provided to the similar queries.
Waldemar Szymanski
Press Spokesman